Are the CIPR doing their bit to encourage more people from ethnic minorities to join the profession?

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations only recently commissioned a study, which focuses on the size and nature of the PR industry today. The findings shoed that 6.5% of PR professionals are from ethnic minority backgrounds compared with the UK workforce average of 8%. These figures are representative of he UK’s ethnic minorities, imagine just how many of the few are British Born South Asians.

There were two distinctive parts to this study. One of which as the number of ethnic minorities and the second was of the size of the PR industry. According the results, the PR industry is ‘growing in size, status and professionalism’. So the question that arises here is that why there are not more practitioners from ethnic minority backgrounds choosing to work in PR.

From reading your posted comments through-out this blog, it has been identified that PR does have ‘an image problem’. This is due to the very reason that issues such as stunts, spin and the fact that PR people are paid to lie for example, is putting people off pursuing a career within this field. Previous research has shown that over the past years, PR has developed significantly. By many, PR is perceived as being a profession due to the ‘skills and knowledge that has been acquired through specific training, qualifications and experience. Furthermore, with the industry now having its own qualifications (CIPR Advanced Certificate & the CIPR Diploma), admission into the career is extremely competitive and a degree is now a necessity.

Every business, today, is becoming more and more competitive. With the emergence of new media, reputation of these businesses is at the core of the strategies. Therefore, PR is accomplishing mounting respect for the vital role that it plays in the world of business. It is no longer all about media relations, as it used to be, but it is more about ‘managing complex relationships on which an organisations reputation is based’.

So, we have been debating about how Asian parents still do not perceive the PR industry as a profession. However, having looked at the research conducted by the CIPR, it can clearly be seen that the CIPR are looking into this issue.

By looking at related articles, for example, ‘diversity matters’ it can clearly be seen that the ‘CIPR are working t increase awareness of the importance of diversity to the communications industry. In July 2005 the institute launched its diversity policy. In addition to this, the policy was supported by institutions dedicated to diversity issues such as the Commission for Racial Equality. This was aimed at raising member’s awareness of diversity issues and to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to join the industry.

The Institute has developed an online resource centre devoted to diversity matters. This draws together case studies from employers who have introduced successful diversity policies; guides and case studies on how to reach diverse audiences; recruitment and legal advice; as well as information about news and events relating to diversity topics. It has integrated diversity issues into its own communications and events programme, and has participated in relevant external events. The CIPR also has a dedicated Diversity Officer and Group responsible for driving these initiatives’.

For more information on this please visit the CIPR website. The link is on this page.

Diversifying PR through Club Asia

Im not too sure how many of you of the a radio station called Club Asia. But it is a station which is dedicated to voicing the views of British born Asians. It is very well know amongst our community and gives Asians an opportunity to express their views on certain issues. Mainstream media is turning once again to Club Asia 963+972AM to find out the current atmosphere within the younger Asian community. The station is the only platform for contemporary Asian Londoners to talk and has become the focal point for debate among Asians in the city.

The point i would like to make is within the last 3 years Club Asia has come to define young Asian London and has become a common name within Asian households, people are becoming aware of key aspects of Asian life. It has a dedicate press centre and PR office, which was formerly run by a young lady named Kiran Natt.

With the emergence of such media, PR has been heightened and has been given some value within our community. Please click on the link and have a browse through the site.

http://www.clubasiaonline.com/press.php

Let me have your thoughts

Cultural Change - Should mentality start changing with time?

I have always had a passion to explore how well British Born South Asians are doing in career moves and aspirations in other areas such as sport in Britain. During my under-graduate study, my dissertation was based on how the media plays a signifcant role in promoting westernisation to British Born South Asians. I found that the 1st and 2nd generation Asians are now becoming much more western in their thinking and allowing their children persue their desired careers etc. Suprisingly enough, even though children have a chance to persue their desired careers, there still seems to be a demand for professions such as Law and Medicine. If people are becoming more western, why hasn't this had an effect on the rise of ethnic minorities working within the PR idustry?

The need for cultural change is necessary for the PR industry, if it wants to reflect a wider audience.

Do feel that there should be a change in the way in which parents and children use tradition to base their decisions on when it comes to their careers?

PR should strive for more publicity and expusure

I had a brian wave, all of a sudden today. An issue that cropped up whilst looking into this particular issue, is that fact that PR should strive for more publicity and exposure.

In order for the PR industry to become more diverse, it should really be working on increasing its level of publicity and exposure. Should they do this, maybe we would see an increase in parents and children, who come from different ethnic backgrounds more conscious of the profession and will ultimately, encourage people to start getting involved.

Does PR need to PR itself to a more diverse audience?

I was talking to a few people about this and the majority of them said that there is a genuine lack of awareness in our culture, of the profession itself.

The complexity in defining what the PR industry is all about and what it actually does, and the fact that it often seems like a unexplained, unsolvable secret society, reinforces its obscure status. For those of us who have studied the nature of PR and what it entails, we are all aware of the fact that there is no straightforward definition when describing what the PR industry involves. It is generally perceived as more of an activity, in its easiest terms. Nevertheless, this lack of awareness is more evident within minority groups, which additionally expresses why Asians are under-represented.

I feel that the PR industry needs to do more to expose and 'PR' itself within a wider, multi-cultural society.

Why are ethnic minorities underrepresented in the PR profession?

Typical answers revolve around the issue of racism, however, in my view; I feel that there is no absolute bias or favoritism within the industry. However, I do believe that there is a lack of understanding and awareness about what the Public Relations industry necessitates.

Decisions are made vastly on various traditions and customs, which force and influence many ethnic minorities, particularly Asians, to follow a profession which revolves around Law or Medicine. This is due to the motive that professions such as Law or Medicine are perceived to be of a high status and financially rewarding. I consider this reason to be the main external hurdle, which is at the foundation of why ethnic minorities are underrepresented. However, there are many more branches that stem off the idea of under-representation and that is of the lack of role models. This is a major factor, in my opinion, in why very few people from different backgrounds are interested in the field of PR. Additionally, the lack of role models actually generates a lack of self-assurance in ethnic minorities to join the PR industry.

However, Anwar's (1998:57) Study on the career aspirations of Asian peole showed that Asians of today have no intentions of Pursuing typical careers that their parents might expect, which include medicine or accountancy, for example. The causes of this maybe because of the dramatic increase of Asians on television. But, if this is really the case, why are we not witnessing a rise of Asians working within the PR industry?

Will we ever see it? What is your take on this?

Asians in the Public Relations Industry

As you are aware, I am studying a Masters degree in PR and to be totally honest, I was shocked at the fact that I am the only Asian girl from London who was interested in the PR profession.Due to this very reason, it has inspired me to explore more into this area, and try and establish reasons as to why there is a lack of Asians working in the PR industry.

The PR industry is a public-oriented industry; it therefore, needs to understand the wider community which it intends to serve and in order to do this successfully, it needs to recruit more ethnic minorities.

High-lighted in the CIPR’s diversity policy, only, 8% of the population in the UK is from an ethnic minority. Currently, ethnic minorities, especially British Born South Asians, play an enormously small role in the world of the Public Relations industry. It is evident that the industry has had a very white out-set and in order to advertise itself productively to the wider community, its structure should reflect the UK’s multicultural nature.

What are your thoughts on this and why do you think this is so?